2018 Music Scene Trends Report—Portland, Maine
As the New Year kicks off we’ve done some reflecting on the marvelous year of music, events, and growth we had here in Portland. The past year brought new venues, saw some of our favorite venues kicking it up a notch, and had musicians, artists, and bands all working together to build up a dynamic and powerful scene.
We reached out to artists from Portland to find out what trends they noticed, what they loved about 2018, and maybe a few things they hope to leave behind as we jump into the New Year. These artists draw and mix from every color in the Crayola box of genres, each having performed live from as little as a year to over twenty years in the Portland music scene.
Trends in Portland
New Venues to support new up-and-coming artists
Portland is quickly developing into a mecca of music, with multiple live shows happening every night of the week at a growing number of venues. Most notably the rise of The Apohadion and Sun Tiki Studios, along with bars, restaurants, galleries, and other venues offering more opportunities to lesser-known artists.
“Two new venues- the Apohadion and Sun Tiki Studios, the latter of which is very ground up, DIY, and creative, the former being really interesting and artsy.” —Kevin Beling, Drivetrain (3 years)
“A couple of new venues have opened up that hopefully will stay independent of the other click oriented venues.” —Zeke Comparetto, Nuclear BootZ (11 years)
Venues like these are important for bands who are new and still building their following.
“I wish there were more venues willing to take a risk on completely unknown all-original groups. In conversation with other musicians, that isn’t an uncommon sentiment and it seems like venues (like Sun Tiki Studios) are popping up to fill that void.” —Sam Ellis, Savor (4 years)
“It’s getting tougher for local bands to operate” — Will Bradford, SeepeopleS (20 years)
“There have been some really cool DIY/underground venues opening up recently that allow artists to build their own music bill for an evening and are generous in what they give bands to take home ($$) at the end of the night. This is so appreciated and does great things for the scene. I have been able to bring out-of-town bands to Portland because places like this exist. I would love to see even more venues like this.” —Betsy Caron, El Grande (7 years)
There are also unique venues providing uncommon opportunities for artists to play their music.
“The music is going back to a more DIY scene. Bands putting on their own shows in non-traditional venues” —Chris Gironda, El Grande (23 Years)
“Basement shows are back and it’s awesome” —Carlton Trott, The Keeper Class (15 years)
On top of new venues, some of our favorites are working hard to become places where local bands can play to new crowds.
“Venues becoming more open to new bands coming in and playing.” —Zak Bigelow, 10801 (10 years)
“Jon Morse transformed Geno’s by investing in new lights and a sound system as well as working harder than any single human on the scene to attract national metal and rock bands through excellent promotion and building a world-class festival.” —Kevin Beling, Drivetrain (3 years)
“A movement towards original music venues” — Lucas Roy, The Middle Men/Lucas Roy (4 years)
The Reemergence of a DIY culture
We wholeheartedly support the DIY mentality. If you put a little effort in it’s that much sweeter when you get a crowd at your show, sell a ton of merch, or see people singing along to all the words in your songs.
“People seem to be recommitting to a DIY philosophy with things like No Show Magazine popping up, this site [Rad Plaid], 31st Records starting, Marinel Media starting.” —Carlton Trott, The Keeper Class (15 years)
Musicians are also working together to support and build up the scene.
“It’s a small city (and thus a small scene), so as you meet people you start to find very few degrees of separation between yourself and other folks you’ve heard of. On paper that might sound stifling, but in our (SnugHouse’s) experience, we’ve found that we’ve all been able to support each other, and having peers on the scene who take their work seriously can only be a good thing.” —Nikhil Dasgupta, SnugHouse (2 years)
New original music and classics are making a come back
In addition to venues, it seems as though the style of music being created in Portland has significantly changed and developed over the past several years. There are some new sounds unique to Portland—markedly genre-bending with locals getting higher production recordings across pop, punk, and straight-up rock and roll.
“There are so many incredibly talented musicians and bands doing a huge range of interesting original music. I continue to be amazed by the diversity and quality of it all. To me it seems much more than a trend. It feels like our local scene is poised to emerge as one of the great organic and independent music scenes in the country.” —Chuck Martin, Xander Nelson (2.5 years)
“So many different types of bands are out there doing their thing now and that’s great! Always hearing new stuff that impresses me, either in terms of musicianship or genre-bending” —Will Broadbent, OGRE, (23 years)
“Instrumental beat makers on the rise” —Zak Taillon, Superorder (11 years)
There is an evolution of the more traditional genres happening as well.
“There also seems to be a return to straight up rock and roll w/ Drivetrain, Twin Grizzly, Iron Dynamite, etc…” —Carlton Trott, The Keeper Class (15 years)
“Punk and rock are both on the rise.” —Ryan Flaherty, Muddy Ruckus (8 years)
“In our micro scene of hard rock, a bunch of new bands have sprung up and we are excited to play with them. There are a lot of good vibes among these bands. I give most of the credit for that to Al Moore from Live at 212, which has become the hard rock incubator.” —Kevin Beling, Drivetrain (3 years)
“Highly produced pop music in hyper-relevant styles are now available locally for the first time in decades” —Viva, VIVA & The Reinforcements (6 years)
“Resurgence of grunge and garage rock. Production values of local recordings are at an all-time high.” —Chris Mayo, An Overnight Low (20 years)
“More hip-hop and electronic music” —Ryan Audy, The Middle Men (4 years)
Of course we need to recognize some of our neighbors who have broadened their horizons and set their sights on faraway lands. Melodic hard rock band Sygnal to Noise has taken their show on the road. Lead singer, Coopa says, “We just do what we do and focus on our goals. Which are to stay on the road and tour as much as possible. To get STN out to new ears and faces across the country.”
“Some local bands are really gaining national attention! Weakened Friends, Ghost of Paul Revere, Lyle Divinsky in the Motet, etc.” —Chris Mayo, An Overnight Low (20 years)
Tribute Shows have done well. Don’t expect them to slow down anytime soon.
Tribute Shows go beyond paying respect to those who inspire and motivate us. They serve as great opportunities to perform at different venues and to new faces.
“Tribute nights are the biggest one, for sure — they’ve slowly become one of the best ways to pack a room in Portland. I like that most tend to feature a collection of local artists, and not just one. It helps spread the word about cool local acts, and gives people a chance to hear some of their favorite tunes done up ‘Portland-style.’” —Xander Nelson, Xander Nelson (10 years)
“Lots of co-bill shows, lots of tribute/cover shows, lots of people going solo” —Katie Matzell (7 years)
“And I hope there’s a hybridization of cover/tribute shows and original shows. Tribute shows have a built-in draw from which original groups could really benefit.” —Sam Ellis, Savor (4 years)
“Increasing number of cover bands and tribute shows. Tribute shows have been selling extremely well” —Bri Lane (2 years)
More National Acts coming to visit our big, little city
All of this great music is putting Portland on the map in other ways, too. Touring artists are swinging by our beautiful city.
“What I have seen is more and more nationally touring folk and singer-songwriter acts coming through Portland as part of their tours, and I think that, in some small way, that has created opportunities for artists here (whether through supporting these groups on stage, or just meeting them and learning from them)” —Nikhil Dasgupta, SnugHouse (2 years)
Sobriety and Mental Health awareness
A healthy scene means nothing if we’re not also healthy.
“Sobriety and mental health awareness on the rise in the hip-hop and rap scene” —Viva, VIVA & The Reinforcements (6 years)
Attendance at shows is growing
At the end of the day we are all working towards the same goal — get more fans out to shows. Some shows are already seeing a surge of new faces.
“Speaking specifically for the underground/punk scene, there seemed to be a pretty serious downturn in attendance for live shows leading up to 2018. Things really seemed to pick up in that department over the course of the year, with rooms being more and more full, which is a trend that I hope will continue well into 2019.” —Andy, The Pubcrawlers (20 years)
Trends in Music
While we love taking a look at our scene and dissecting the trends happening here, there’s also a lot happening on a national level. Trends in mainstream music affect local scenes everywhere, every day.
Fusion and genre-blending
People are breaking the “rules” and marrying styles, sounds, and structures to achieve truly unique sounds .
“I’ve noticed an upswing in musical fusion, which I like because I feel like all music is art and art is meant to be appreciated, no matter what type it is.” —Ande Greene, The Keeper Class (3 years)
“Continued diversification into many genres” —Kevin Beling, Drivetrain (3 years)
On top of fusions, we’re also seeing changes to the composition of music itself
“One big thing I noticed in music this year was the increasing simplicity of arrangements in pop hits. I think I heard more songs without bridges, or even third choruses, in 2018 than I’ve heard in my whole life. That’s not to say complicated is bad, but simplicity definitely lends itself to becoming an earworm.” —Xander Nelson, Xander Nelson (10 years)
Music’s Online Presence
Much more than a trend, the way we find, listen to, and share music has totally changed.
“More of an online presence — more people producing/releasing music without playing live, lots of single releases vs. albums” —Katie Matzell (7 years)
“Most notably is the continued trend toward streaming music as the main way for people to listen, versus buying records or cd’s, and the resulting scramble for everyone to grasp the new landscape and figure out how to effectively promote music independently in this new landscape.” —Chuck Martin, Xander Nelson (2.5 years)
Female Presence
We all know the old adage — ”Who run the world? GIRLS!” Women stepping up on a national level is really encouraging and motivating for women in the local scene.
“More. Girls. Yes.” —Brooke Binion, theWorst/Virille (3 years)
“Female empowerment” —Bri Lane (2 years)
New Year, New Dreams!
We asked everyone what they were most excited for in 2019 and what local artists they wish were still making music or preforming.
New Album Releases, and the growth of local faves
2019 is poised to be a big year for many of Portland’s best and brightest bands. There will be new albums, new songs, new styles, and more.
“I’m looking forward to our buddies Spillers’ full-length and our split with them this year.” —Ande Greene, The Keeper Class (3 years)
“We will be releasing an album early 2019, so I am looking forward to booking our release show and including other local and regional groups to join us. I love bringing bands from throughout New England, New York and the entire northeast (even Philly and DC!) to Portland and showing them our city and music scene. It is a rewarding experience and I look forward to booking more shows in 2019 with a strong combination of local/regional bands that helps put Portland on the map for touring groups!” —Betsy Caron, El Grande (7 years)
“I’m also really excited to see what comes next for some of the great local bands that are poised to break out after doing a lot of cool things in 2019, such as JanaeSound, The Johnny Clay Shanks Band, Sons of Alfond, The Malletts Brothers Band, B. Aull, Spose, Dearing City and of course Xander Nelson….and that’s just to name a few off the top of my head… There are so many!” —Chuck Martin, Xander Nelson (2.5 years)
“Very happy and excited for the breakouts from here — Weakened Friends, Ghost of Paul Revere, and Spose.” —Neil Collins, Murcielago (30 years)
“The new OGRE album we have been writing. It will be released to coincide with our 20 year anniversary as a band. It will probably go unnoticed locally but will have a huge response from our rabid international fan base. I’m sure other bands will be doing great stuff as well but this is really a biggie.” —Will Broadbent, OGRE (23 years)
“Up-and-coming groups that defy genre limitations and create their own sound without strict adherence to anything anybody else has already defined. Honest music that also doesn’t try to “sound different” for the sake of “sounding different.” —Todd Casper, Adulting (1.5 years)
“We will be recording an album in early 2019 produced by Will Bradford and hopefully get some people to come out and see us without having to jump on a bill of one of the veterans of Portland music or one of the art school clicks or straight up monopolizing groups.” —Zeke Comparetto, Nuclear BootZ (11 years)
“My band El Grande releasing a full-length album.” —Chris Gironda, El Grande (23 years)
More venues and time slots for local musicians
We’re looking forward to the development of the new venues from 2018, and for the endless opportunities for musicians in 2019.
“More clubs to open their doors to bands outside of Portland as well as help promote and pay them. It is not just the job of the bands to bring the people to a venue. It is also the clubs responsibility to help promote and get people in the door as well. If both are in place, it ends up being a much more successful show for everyone. Then when that happens, actually pay the bands for their work.” —Coopa, Sygnal To Noise (20 years)
“I’m excited to see where smaller venues go and how they develop. I hope to see more collaboration between local groups to produce original music. There are so many talented musicians in this area and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be creating music together.” —Sam Ellis, Savor (4 years)
“DIY spaces gaining traction” —Zak Taillon, Superorder (11 years)
“I’m really excited about Darren Elder’s new “The Halo at Thompson’s Point” venue at Brick South, which brings another really cool room to the scene, brought forth by one of the most important creative forces in the local scene and beyond.” —Chuck Martin, Xander Nelson (2.5 years)
“New and cool clubs opening up! More national acts coming to Portland would be great.” —Lynda Mandolyn, Tiger Bomb/Crystal Canyon (4 years)
“Personally, I’d have to say the opening of The Halo at The Point. With a huge supporter of local music like Darren Elder at the helm, the place is bound to bring in some cool new talent. Plus, given how cool The Halo Studio is, I bet it’ll be a sweet place to hang out and see a show, too.” —Xander Nelson, Xander Nelson (10 years)
“The potential for the Thompson’s Point venue to become a huge local music venue under the new management that can give local acts the opportunity to open for national touring bands.” —Chris Mayo, An Overnight Low (20 years)
“The newer venues that have recently opened up their doors to more original music. Excited to see more singer-songwriters come out of the woodworks and play at these places.” —Bri Lane (2 years)
“I’d like to see Sun Tiki Studios grow as a presence in the scene, specifically with the all ages scene.” —Jeff Beam (10 years)
Diversifications and development of music
Of course, with all of these talented minds in one city there is bound to be some unique, interesting developments.
“More diversity in acts, less of the same thing (same names everywhere) — more bands coming to town to grow in our (Portland) market” —Katie Matzell (7 years)
“More “middle ground” bands! There are bands like The Ghost of Paul Revere, who are now a little too big to play in Portland regularly, and only play huge sold out shows here when they do, while folks like the Weakened Friends seem to be catching up fast. On the other hand, bands like ours are really only starting to get a handle on how to reach broader audiences, and are currently most well known to a small circle of friends, and friends of friends. There aren’t too many bands in between based in Portland these days. We’re hoping that we, as well as other bands like us in Portland, can see some real growth next year and start having a bigger presence in the city!” —Nikhil Dasgupta, SnugHouse (2 years)
“Lots of women playing together. Which is awesome.” —Brooke Binnion, theWorst/Virile (3 years)
“I always love to see original music projects and collaborations across genres and art mediums. I miss the Maine Arts Festival and First Night Celebration — It was a wonderful local artist immersion!… (can we bring that back?)” —Kate Schrock (25 years)
“Breakwater Studios launching 🤘🏼” —Ryan Audy, The Middle Men (4 years)
“Catching up technologically with broadcasting abilities. Also, local organizations are teaming up deliberately for the first time in years to strengthen the music scene” —Viva, VIVA & The Reinforcements (6 years)
“A continued rise in live show attendance.” —Andy, The Pubcrawlers (20 years)
Many of us are excited for the growth and success of local venues, local musicians, and new records. It’s rewarding to know that despite the struggle the Portland scene may have seen in years past, our community remains strong, hopeful, and excited for what’s to to come. While we keep our eyes and hearts set on the future, we’ll never forget our inspirations and the musicians that made the scene what it is today.
Some artists we not-so-secretly wish were performing more often, still performing, or still making music:
Will from OGRE also recognized the loss of a tremendous member of our community. “We lost the great Tony D’Agostino from Swamp Witch Revival, Novadose, Hell Wheel Drive, Fury 440, Redeemer, Supersoul Challenger, Cortez, Sun Gods in Exile, etc this year and it’s a shame we won’t get to hear his riffs any more. He will be missed.”
As the wise and wonderful Oprah once said “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Portland, let’s get 2019 right and continue to #ListenLocal.
*comments were edited for grammar and clarity
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